Metal working machine



July 7, 1931. H. M. LUCAS METAL WORKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1928 Jig s Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY M. LUCAS, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LUCAS MACHINE TOOL COM- PANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METAL WORKING MACHINE- Appli cation filed January 14, 1928. Serial No. 246,687.

This invention relates to metal working machines and particularly to a clamping mechanism for clamping to the ways of the bed a slide which is designed to be moved longitudinally of the bed on such ways.

The invention has utility in connection with many types of metal working machines such as boring, drilling, milling, and other machines.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a mechanism for clamping a slide to the ways of the bed of a metal working machine, as for example the saddle of a boring, drilling or milling machine, which is powerful in its action, readily accessible to the operator, exerts an equal pressure upon the ways of the bed, is of simple and economical construction, and is readily mounted on the slide.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Embodiments of the invention are lllustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n Fig. 1 is an irregular vertical section taken transversely through the saddle and bed of a drilling, boring, or milling machine; the saddle, certain portions of the clamp ng mechanism, and the ways of the bed be ng shown in section, while the table, adjusting and operating screw therefor, and the other portions of the clamping mechanism are shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the saddle and table;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View corresponding to the righthand portion of 1;

Fig. l is a detail sectional View, of slightly modified form, corresponding to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the form shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom view of the downwardly extending portions of the saddle or slide and shows the longitudinal ribs on the under side thereof.

It is to be understood that only the supporting table, saddle and bed of a drilling, boring, milling or other metal working machine is shown in the drawings, the remainder of the machine being omitted since the construction thereof forms no part of the present invention.

In the usual form of drilling, boring, milling or other metal working machine, the

' bed 1 of the machine is provided with longitudinally extending ways 2 and 3 at the front and rear thereof. These ways serve as guideways for the sliding work or tool supporting saddle or slide 4. In a like manner the saddle or slide is provided with transversely extending ways 2a and 3a upon which the work supporting, or in some instances the tool supporting table 5 is adapted to have movement transversely of the machine. This transverse movement of the table is usually effected by means of a screw rod 6 operable from the front of the machine while the longitudinal movement of the slide or saddle is effected by the screw rod 6a operable from the end of the machine.

Ordinarily the saddle or slide is clamped in adjusted position upon the ways 2 and 3 of the bed by means of individually operated clamps arranged adjacent the front and rear sides of the machine. This arrangement is not an advantageous one, since it is necessary for the operator to go to both sides of the machine in order to operate the clamps for each position of adjustment and also because the clamping pressure is apt to be unequal on the opposite sides. There have been clamping devices which are operable from one side of the machine only by a common actuating means. However, these clamps have been of complicated design requiring an excessive number of operating parts.

In order to provide a clamping mechanism of very simple design and of a few number of parts wherein the clamps at the front and rear of the machine may be simultaneously operated by a single actuator from the front side of the machine, it is contemplated to utilize the construction now to be described.

Substantially L-shaped clamping levers 7 and 8 are pivotally connected respectively with the opposite or front and rear longitudinal sides of the slide or saddle by means of studs 9 passing loosely through the shorter arms 10 of the levers. These studs pass ranged in the upwardly through the retaining cap members 11 and are threaded into the under side of the slide. The openings in the arms 10 through which the studs pass have concave countersinks at their lower ends to receive rocker members 12 carried by the studs and held in position by nuts 13. The inner ends of the arms 10 have rounded portions 14 on their upper sides adapted to bear on the under side of the cap membersll which are rigidly attached to the slide by screws 15, is well understood in the art. The cap members are each provided on their under sides with reduced or cut out portions 16a on each side of the point of engagement of the levers with the cap members. Also the portions of the saddle or slide which extend downwardly adjacent the ways have spaced longitudinal ribs 16?) on their under sides, the inner of which is cut away at 16, seas to provide for a clamping action between the caps and the ways. In this way when rocking of the levers causes the rounded portion to exert pressure upon the caps, the latter because of the reduced portions and the cut away ribs 165 on the slide are flexed upwardly thereby bindin or clamping with the ways 2 and 3.

The longer arms of the levers 7 and 8 extend upwardly on the outer siees of the bed above the ways for engagement by a common actuating member. The upper ends of these arms have transversely extending openings theret irough the inner ends of which are provided with concave countersinks. I

A shaft 17 extends transversely of the 'slide or saddle passing loosely. through the openings in the upper ends of the longer arms of the levers and being slidably and rotatably mounted in bearings 18 and 19 formed on the saddle or slide adjacent the opposite sides thereof.

The rear end of the shaft 17 is provided with threads 20 upon which is mounted intermediate the lever 8 and bearing 19 a nut 21. The threaded end of the shaft passes loosely through the opening in the longer arm of the lever 8 while the nut 21 is arcountersink with a rocker washer or member 22 interposed between it and the lever. In addition to the countersink the upper end of the lever 8 is recessed at 23 to receive the nut 21 and hold the same against rotation. A suitable spacer 21 may be arranged on the shaft 17 between the nut 21 and the bearing 19.

Spaced collars 25 and 26 are rigidly arranged on the shaft 17 on opposite sides of the upper end of the longer arm of the lever 7. A rocker member or washer 27 is mounted on the shaft between the lever and the collar 25, being adapted to seat within the concave countersink in the lever. Thisrocker member or washer may be separate from the collar 25 or it may be formed integrally therewith. There is a slight clearance between the lever 7 and collar 26 to allow for the rocking movement of the lever.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the mechanism is practically indentieal with that just described, except the construction of the nut and rocker member used adjacent the lever 8 is somewhat varied. In this latter form the nut 28 is integrally provided with a rocker head portion 29 and is of sufficient length that the screw-threaded end of the shaft 17 terminates within the nut. Extending from the rocker portion of the nut is a stud portion 30 which projects through the opening in the upper end of the clamp, it being understood that the rocker portion lies in the countersink. This stud portion is of such dimension that it may have rocking movement within the opening. Extending through the upper end of the lever 8 and the stud 30 is a pivot and holding pin 31, the middle portion of which is recessed to receive a locking screw 32.

A crank handle or other member may be applied to the forward squared end of the shaft 17 and the same turned so as to rotate the shaft in the desired direction. Since the nut 21 is held against rotation by its engagement in the recess 23 formed in the lever 8 and the shaft is free to float, it is clear that such rotation of the shaft 17 will cause the same to movev longitudinally within the bearings 18 and 19. This longitudinal or floating movement of the shaft will cause the collar 25 to bear against the upper end ofithe lever 7 as a result of which the lever will rock on the stud 9 and rocker member 12. Consequently, the portion 14 of the lever will exert an upward pressure upon the cap 11. Continued rotation of the shaft 17 will cause the nut 21 and rocker member 22'to exert pressure upon the upper end oflever 8, since the shaft is not now free to float. This lever in like manner will rock upon its stud 9 and rocker member 12, thus exerting upwardpressure by the portion 14 upon the cap 11. The caps 11 being provided with the reduced p0rtions 16a on opposite sides of the engaging points, and the inner ribs 16?) of the downwardly extending portions of the slide being cut away at 16, the; pressure of the levers therebetween will cause the caps to be flexed sufficiently to bind or clamp with the ways 2 and 3. Of course, the cap members may be omitted or cut away so that the levers engage the bed ways directly.

It will be obvious that since/the shaft 17 is free to move or float endwise through the bearing members that the clamping pressure exerted by the levers will always be automatically equalized for the front and rear levers. It is also perfectly apparent that the operator may clamp. the saddle or slide in adjusted position without moving away from the front of the machine. The operation of the modification is the same and need not be described.

lVhile the disclosure illustrated and described is the preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not to be understood as so limited, since it is susceptible of all modifications and adaptations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a metal working machine, a bed having front and rear ways, a slide movable along said ways, a pair of studs rigidly connected to the slide, mechanism for clamping the slide to the ways comprising two clamping members pivotally mounted on said studs and having integral angularly disposed arms including arms which extend beneath the ways and arms which extend along and closely adjacent the outer sides of the bed and above the ways, and a common means engaging said last mentioned arms to rock said members so as to cause the first mentioned arms to exert clamping pressure on the ways with an equalized action, said studs having on their lower ends rockers constituting fulcrums and the clamping members having seat portions engaging said rockers.

2. In a metal working machine, a bed having front and rear ways, a slide movable on said ways and having cap members attached thereto and extending beneath the ways, said cap members having spaced outout portions to permit flexing of the cap members, mechanism for clamping said slide to the bed comprising two clamping members pivotally associated with the slide and having angularly disposed arms including arms which extend beneath the ways and between the cutout portions of the cap members and arms which extend along and adj acent the outer sides of the bed and above the ways, and a common means operatively associated with said last named arms for rocking said members and bringing said first named arms into engagement with said cap members with an equalizing action to clamp the slide to the bed.

3. In a metal working machine, a bed having front and rear ways, a slide movable 011 said ways and having downwardly extending portions adjacent the ways provided along their under sides with spaced longitudinally extending ribs the inner of which is cut away for a portion of its length, cap members secured to the under side of the downwardly extending portions of the slide and engaging the ribs, mechanism for clamping the slide to the bed comprising two clamping members pivotally associated with the slide and having angularly disposed arms including arms which extend beneath the cap members and intermediate the ends of the cutaway portion of said inner rib and arms which extend along and adjacent the outer sides of the bed and above the ways, and a common means operatively associated with said last named arms for rocking said members and bring said first mentioned arms into engagement with the cap members with an equalizing action so as to flex the cap members to clamp said slide to said bed.

4. In a metal working machine, a bed having front and rear ways, a slide movable along said ways and having downwardly extending portions adjacent said ways provided on their under side with spaced longitudinally extending ribs the inner of which is cut away for a part of its length, cap members secured to the under side of the downwardly extending portions of the slide and engaging the ribs thereof, said cap members being provided with spaced cutout portions lying adjacent the opposite ends of the cutaway portions of said inner rib on said slide, mechanism for clamping said slide to the bed comprising two clamping members pivotally associated with the slide and having angularly disposed arms including arms which extend beneath the cap members intermediate the cutout portions thereof and arms which extend along and adjacent to the outer sides of the bed and above the ways, and a common means operatively associated with said last mentioned arms to lock said members and bring said first mentioned arms into engagement with the cap members with an equalizing action to flex the latter into clamping engagement with the under side of the ways.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

. HENRY M. LUCAS. 

